FOGARTY GLOBAL HEALTH PROGRAM TO ADDRESS NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES

The global burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) continues to grow, with preventable cardiovascular and pulmonary disease, diabetes, and cancer now the leading causes of death globally. In the South-East Asia Region (SEAR), NCDs account for 7.9 million deaths annually or 60% of deaths in the region.

Thailand has experienced the shift from infectious to non-communicable diseases, and there is a critical need for additional data on the burden and trends of chronic NCDs and associated risk factors in different settings and different population groups. There is also a need for nursing and health systems research aimed at improving prevention, primary care, and long-term chronic disease management.

The “Fogarty International Training Program for Strengthening NCD Research and Training Capacity in Thailand” builds on a longstanding collaboration between the UMSN and an institute within the Thai Ministry of Public Health (MOPH), the Praboromarajchanok Institute for Health Workforce Development (PBRI). This 5-year National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR)/Fogarty-supported program offers a varied and integrated training plan in nursing, interdisciplinary, and health systems research aimed at improving prevention, primary care, and long-term chronic disease management.